Multi-Scale modelling of a membrane reforming power cycle with CO₂ capture

This work presents the initial investigations of an Integrated Reforming Combined Cycle (IRCC) process with CO₂ capture using a membrane reformer. A geometrically generic 1-dimensional model of a membrane reformer has been implemented in Matlab 7.9. This model includes detailed balance equations for energy, momentum and mass in all three sections of the membrane reformer. Widely accepted empirical relations have been used to take into account the mass and energy transport across the membrane as functions of the conditions inside the chemical reactor. The reactor model has been integrated into an overall steady state IRCC process simulation model developed in HYSYS and GTPro. The work shows that multi-scale modelling is necessary to capture the behaviour of the process. The overall cycle efficiency of the process was 46.83 % with 85 % CO₂ capture. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.